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Stealth hanging and hillsides??

Let's say you are hiking along a trail that rises on one side and drops off on the other. You decide to set camp and you prefer a stealthy hidden camp but there are no hills to tuck behind. Do you hang on the uphill side or downhill side?

Just curious if you feel those hiking have a tendency to look uphill or downhill while hiking along. Personally I have tented 20 yards from the Long Trail and had people walking by me all morning without anyone seeing me.

... well that kind of depends on the terrain and the prevailing breeze. But generally I'd say ... above the trail. I have camped below trails before but the nature of the site was such that either I couldn't be seen easily or it was just too darn good a view.

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It depends. Do you want them looking up your skirt or down your blouse?

Seriously, if the goal is to not be seen it is probably easier to hide yourself on the downhill side since you can a. use your tarp as camoflage, and b. if you go far enough down the hill, then you will be below the line of sight. One can always see up the hill.

When you walk down a trail you look in front of you and downwards at the trail to see obstacles etc. Your head is generally down and forward. You would have peripheral views of the down-hill side and the lower side of the hill.

I would camp up hill (above the trail)

Of course, this assumes there is an equal UP and DOWN slope...

If the uphill side is a mound and the downhill side is a cliff... then lower would be better... but all things equal - uphill wins every time.

When stealthing stealthing (security/safety) overrides warmth/breezes...it's one reason I carry a larger tarp that can reach ground and now GrizBeaks--so I can stay warm even if my stealth spot is not idea for wind sheltering. I've hung on some pretty steep and rough terrain, sometimes 1/2 mile off the trail-whatever distance that will convince me that I have literally fallen off the planet in the sense I won't be discovered while I'm snoozing...this applies to animals too....most animals along most of the established trails like the AT know that shelters are food markets...I sign in, socialize, cook/eat, then pack up and head down the trail to find my exit either left or right in looking for that stealthy spot. All this because usually I'm hiking by myself. If i was in a group I'd be less prone to the stealth option.

Seriously never thought about it, but I seem to go UP hill more than not.

Knowing how I hike, often with my eyes down or no more than level. And when I stop to look, I would say at least 90% of it is to look down the hill, view or not. I do look up often if climbing the hill, but only along the trail to see how much further I have to climb.

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